


The Brightest Jewel

by Life_on_Vega



Series: Tumblr Prompts and Inspirations [11]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, Implied Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-18
Updated: 2015-01-18
Packaged: 2018-03-08 03:44:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3194021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Life_on_Vega/pseuds/Life_on_Vega
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is a great deal of meaning behind the jewelry that the Gerudo wear.</p><p>Inspired by several Tumblr posts, and originally submitted to corseque's blog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Brightest Jewel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [corseque](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=corseque).



There are very few Hylians who know the significance behind Gerudo jewelry. Most know that Gerudo prize precious metals and gems; and for the Hylians, that is enough confirmation of the people’s innate greed and vanity.

But scattered in a few books, and in the brains of a few more scholars, lies the real story of Gerudo treasure. Even that is a misnomer – not everything is treasure to a Gerudo.

The first level consists of trinkets. These are the brooches that are found, half-hidden in the desert sands, the gold hairpins dropped in a forgotten corner, or the rings removed from some dirty tomb (because the long-dead Hylian noble can’t know it’s gone). Perhaps one may need a keen eye to spot them, but there’s hardly any glory in picking up some dusty token from the ground. Still, gold is gold, and so the items are pocketed, sold, or traded. They serve as mere accents in the outfit for a Gerudo warrior-thief.

The second level is the prizes won in battle. It takes great skill and cunning to defeat an opponent, and even more swiftness to relieve them of their possessions. A haughty traveler, whose head is filled only with the stories of brave knights in shining armor and not with fighting strategy, will find himself returning to Hyrule with no necklaces, no signet rings, no gleaming shield, and certainly no armor. The Gerudo tell stories of the great wars, hundreds of women and men in a deadly dance, and cheer every time they recite the rhymes of clever fingers removing ornamented knives. These are the gems that any Gerudo will point proudly to, for each one has a tale.

The third and final level is what is truly treasured – gifts. The desert itself gives very little to the Gerudo, but when the sun and heat abate, or when a new oasis is discovered, it is a blessing. So it is with the tribe. To give a precious item to someone else is a sacred honor. Among the Gerudo, you must always assist in the survival of the tribe, and to expect everything to come to you on its own is foolishness. But to give up something valuable for the sake of another person is an admirable deed. And so tiaras are passed down for generations, bracelets reappear on new wrists, and necklaces grace the bodies of countless figures. No Gerudo would ever consider allowing a stranger to carry off these heirlooms.

Ganondorf, steeped in Gerudo tradition as their king, is of course adorned with jewelry. Very few of his gems did he happen to find – he outgrew those after his boyhood. A great many are rewards from duels or raids, and Ganondorf will recount the stories behind them with a wry, disdainful grin. Several others are gems slipped away from blustering nobles, or baubles lifted from jewelry boxes in certain royal bedrooms.

But the one that Ganondorf wears most proudly is a single ruby, so red it looks hot to the touch. This was a gift from Princess Zelda upon some anniversary of Hylian-Gerudo alliances. She had handed it to him with a steady gaze – his people’s history was unspoken, but understood. He had put it on then, in that abandoned hallway, and had not taken it off since.

Not even the princess’s precious hero would be able to wrest that crown jewel from him.

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to reblog this on Tumblr, you can go to corseque's blog: http://corseque.tumblr.com/post/108039444022  
> Or reblog it from me: http://lifeonvega.tumblr.com/post/108041340487/the-brightest-jewel


End file.
